Guerrilla_war

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Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Warfare Ranks Command and control Staff Intelligence Education and training Logistics Technology and equipment Materiel Supply chain management Lists Battles Commanders Operations Sieges Writers Wars War crimes Weapons Portal Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat in which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes, raids, etc.) to combat a larger and less mobile formal army. The guerrilla army uses ambush (stealth and surprise) and mobility (draw enemy forces to terrain unsuited to them) in attacking vulnerable targets in enemy territory. This term means "little war" in Spanish and was created during the Peninsular War. The concept acknowledges a conflict between armed civilians against a powerful nation state army, either foriegn or domestic. The tactics of guerrilla warfare were used sucessfully in the recent 20th century by among others the People’s Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War, Fidel Castro’s rebel army in the Cuban Revolution, and by the Viet Cong, and the North Vietnam Army in the Vietnam War. Most factions of the Iraqi Insurgency and groups such as FARC are said to be engaged in some form of guerrilla warfare.
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Etymology
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Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla (Spanish pronunciation: [gerriʎa]) means small war, the diminutive of the Spanish word Guerra (war). The Spanish word derives from the Old High German word Werra and from the middle Dutch word warre; adopted by the Visigoths in A.D. 5th century Hispania. The use of the diminutive evokes the differences in number, scale, and scope between the guerrilla army and the formal, professional army of the state. An early example of this came when General John Burgoyne, who, during the Saratoga campaign of the American War of Independence, noted that in proceeding through dense woodland: ‘the enemy is infinitely inferior to the King’s Troop in open space, and hardy combat, is well fitted by disposition and practice, for the stratagems of enterprises of Little War...upon the Same principle must be a constant rule, in or near Woods to place advanced Centuries, where they may have a Tree or Some other defence to prevent their being taken off by a single Marksman.’ So conscious of hidden marksmen was Burgoyne that he asked his men, ‘when the Lieut’t General visits an outpost, the men are not to stand to their Arms or pay him any compliment’, clearly being aware he would be singled out.[1] The word was thus not coined in Spain to describe resistance to Napoleon Bonaparte’s French régime during the Peninsula War. Its meaning was however broadened to mean any similar-scale armed resistance. Guerrillero is the Spanish word for guerrilla fighter, while in Spanish-speaking countries the noun guerrilla usually denotes guerrilla army (e.g. la guerrilla de las FARC translates as "the FARC guerrilla group"). Moreover, per the OED, ’the guerrilla’ was in English usage (as early as 1809), describing the fighters, not only their tactics (e.g."the town was taken by the guerrillas"), however, in most languages guerrilla still denotes the specific style of warfare.
The Spanish guerrillero Juan Martín Díez, known by his nom de guerre, El Empecinado.
Strategy, tactics and organization
Statue of Juana Galán in Valdepeñas, Spanish woman guerrillere The strategy and tactics of guerrilla warfare tend to focus around the use of a small, mobile force competing against a large, unwieldy one. The guerrilla focuses on organising in small units, dependent on the support of the local population. Tactically, the
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guerrilla army attacks its enemy in small, repetitive attacks from the opponents center of gravity with a view to reducing casualties and becoming an intensive, repetitive strain on the enemies resources, forcing an overeager response which will both anger their own supporters and increase support for the guerrilla, thus forcing the enemy to withdraw.
Guerrilla warfare
against the Carthaginians that lasted for 14 years. In expanding their own Empire, the Romans encountered numerous examples of guerrilla resistance to their legions as well.[2] The success of Judas Maccabeus in his rebellion against Seleucid rule was at least partly due to his mastery of irregular warfare. The victory of the Basque forces against Charlemagne’s army in the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, which gave birth to the Medieval myth of Roland, was due to effective use of a guerrilla principles in the mountain terrain of the Pyrenees. Mongols also faced irregulars composed of armed peasants in Hungary after the Battle of Mohi. In the 15th century, Vietnamese leader Le Loi launched a guerrilla war against Chinese.[3] One of the most successful guerrilla wars against the invading Ottomans was led by Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg from 1443 to 1468. In 1443 he rallied Albanian forces and drove the Turks from his homeland. For 25 years Skanderbeg kept the Turks from retaking Albania, which due to its proximity to Italy, could easily have served as a springboard to the rest of Europe.[4] In 1462, the Ottomans were driven back by Wallachian prince Vlad III Dracula. Vlad was unable to stop the Turks from entering Wallachia, so he resorted to guerrilla war, constantly organizing small attacks and ambushes on the Turks.[5] During The Deluge in Poland guerrilla tactics were applied.[6] In the 100 years war between England and France, commander Bertrand du Guesclin used guerrilla tactics to pester the English invaders. The Frisian warlord Pier Gerlofs Donia fought a guerrilla against Philip I of Castile[7] and with co-commander Wijerd Jelckama against Charles V.[8][9] During the Dutch Revolt of the 16th century, the Geuzen waged a guerrilla war against the Spanish Empire.[10] During the Scanian War, a pro-Danish guerrilla group known as the Snapphane fought against the Swedes. In 17th century Ireland, Irish irregulars called tories and rapparees used guerrilla warfare in the Irish Confederate Wars and the Williamite war in Ireland. Finnish guerrillas, sissis, fought against Russian occupation troops in the Great Northern War, 1700-1721. The Russians retaliated brutally against the civilian populace; the period is called Isoviha (Grand Hatred) in Finland. Many clandestine organizations (often known as resistance movements) operated in the countries occupied by Nazi Germany
History
Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War in South Africa. Since Classical Antiquity, when many strategies and tactics were used to fight foreign occupation that anticipated the modern guerrilla. An early example was the hit-andrun tactics employed by the nomadic Scythians of Central Asia against Darius the Great’s Persian Achaemenid Empire and later against Alexander the Great’s Macedonian Empire. The Fabian strategy applied by the Roman Republic against Hannibal in the Second Punic War could be considered another early example of guerrilla tactics: After witnessing several disastrous defeats, assassinations and raiding parties, the Romans set aside the typical military doctrine of crushing the enemy in a single battle and initiated a successful, albeit unpopular, war of attrition
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during the World War II. By 1944 the Polish resistance was thought to number [11] The strength of the Soviet partis400,000. an units and formations can not be accurately estimated, but in Belarus alone is thought to have been in excess of 300,000.[12]
Guerrilla warfare
committed to the rule of law and better governance. Some governments, however, give such considerations short shrift, and their counterguerrilla operations have involved mass murder, genocide, starvation and the massive spread of terror, torture and execution. The totalitarian regimes of Hitler are classic examples, as are more modern conflicts in places like Afghanistan. In Afghanistan’s anti-Mujahideen war for example, the Soviets implemented a ruthless policy of wastage and depopulation, driving over one third of the Afghan population into exile (over 5 million people), and carrying out widespread destruction of villages, granaries, crops, herds and irrigation systems, including the deadly and widespread mining of fields and pastures. See Wiki article Soviet war in Afghanistan. Many modern countries employ manhunting doctrine to seek out and eliminate individual guerrillas. Elements of Thompson’s moderate approach are adapted here:[13] 1. . Contrary to the focus of conventional warfare, territory gained, or casualty counts are not of overriding importance in counter-guerrilla warfare. The support of the population is the key variable. Since many insurgents rely on the population for recruits, food, shelter, financing, and other materials, the counter-insurgent force must focus its efforts on providing physical and economic security for that population and defending it against insurgent attacks and propaganda. 2. . This can range from granting political autonomy, to economic development measures in the affected region. The vision must be an integrated approach, involving political, social and economic and media influence measures. A nationalist narrative for example, might be used in one situation, an ethnic autonomy approach in another. An aggressive media campaign must also be mounted in support of the competing vision or the counter-insurgent regime will appear weak or incompetent. 3. It may be tempting for the counterinsurgent side to simply declare guerrillas "terrorists" and pursue a harsh liquidation strategy. Brute force however, may not be successful in the long run. Action does not mean capitulation, but sincere steps such as removing corrupt or arbitrary officials, cleaning up fraud, building more
Current guerrilla conflicts
Present ongoing guerrilla wars, and regions facing guerrilla war activity include: • Kashmir • Arab-Israeli Conflict • Uganda • Zapatista Army of National Liberation, Mexico - have been relatively non-violent since 1994 • India • Internal conflict in Peru • Second Chechen War • ETA in Spain • Taliban insurgency Afghanistan • Darfur Conflict • Colombian Armed Conflict • Iran • Conflict in Iraq • Kurdish Unrest in Turkey • Ivorian Civil War • Islamic and Communist Insurgencies in the Philippines • Sudan • Second Tuareg Rebellion • Baloch republican army, Pakistani Balochistan • Real Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland
Counter-guerrilla warfare
Principles
The guerrilla can be difficult to beat, but certain principles of counter-insurgency warfare are well known since the 1950s and 1960s and have been successfully applied.
Classic guidelines
The widely distributed and influential work of Sir Robert Thompson, counter-insurgency expert of the Malayan Emergency, offers several such guidelines. Thompson’s underlying assumption is that of a country minimally
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Guerrilla warfare
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infrastructure, collecting taxes honestly, Activities Division created successful or addressing other legitimate grievances guerrilla forces from the Hmong tribe can do much to undermine the guerrillas’ during the war in Vietnam in the 1960’s, [16] from the Northern Alliance against the appeal. The counter-insurgent regime must not Taliban during the war in Afghanistan in overreact to guerrilla provocations, since 2001, [17] and from the Kurdish this may indeed be what they seek to Peshmerga against Ansar al-Islam and the create a crisis in civilian morale. forces of Saddam Hussein during the war Indiscriminate use of firepower may only in Iraq in 2003. [18] [19] In Iraq, the 2007 serve to alienate the key focus of US "surge" strategy saw the embedding of counterinsurgency- the base of the people. regular and special forces troops among Police level actions should guide the effort Iraqi army units. These hardcore groups and take place in a clear framework of were also incorporated into local legality, even if under a State of neighborhood outposts in a bid to Emergency. Civil liberties and other facilitate intelligence gathering, and to customs of peacetime may have to be strengthen ground level support among suspended, but again, the counterthe masses.[14] insurgent regime must exercise restraint, 8. Counter-insurgent forces require and cleave to orderly procedures. In the familiarity with the local culture, mores counter-insurgency context, "boots on the and language or they will experience ground" are even more important than numerous difficulties. Americans technological prowess and massive experienced this in Vietnam and during firepower, although anti-guerrilla forces the US Iraqi Freedom invasion and should take full advantage of modern air, occupation, where shortages of Arabic artillery and electronic warfare assets.[14] speaking interpreters and translators If police action is not sufficient to stop the hindered both civil and military guerrilla fighters, military sweeps may be operations.[20] necessary. Such "big battalion" operations 9. Every effort must be made to gather and may be needed to break up significant organize useful intelligence. A systematic guerrilla concentrations and split them process must be set up to do so, from into small groups where combined civiccasual questioning of civilians to police action can control them. structured interrogations of prisoners. Mobility and aggressive small unit action Creative measures must also be used, is extremely important for the counterincluding the use of double agents, or insurgent regime. Heavy formations must even bogus "liberation" or sympathizer be lightened to aggressively locate, groups that help reveal insurgent pursue and fix insurgent units. Huddling personnel or operations. in static strongpoints simply concedes the 10. An "ink spot" clear and hold strategy must field to the insurgents. They must be kept be used by the counter-insurgent regime, on the run constantly with aggressive dividing the conflict area into sectors, and patrols, raids, ambushes, sweeps, cordons, assigning priorities between them. Control roadblocks, prisoner snatches, etc. must expand outward like an ink spot on In tandem with mobility is the embedding paper, systematically neutralizing and of hardcore counter-insurgent units or eliminating the insurgents in one sector of troops with local security forces and the grid, before proceeding to the next. It civilian elements. The US Marines in may be necessary to pursue holding or Vietnam also saw some success with this defensive actions elsewhere, while priority method, under its CAP (Combined Action areas are cleared and held. Program) where Marines were teamed as 11. Mass forces include village self-defence both trainers and "stiffeners" of local groups and citizen militias organized for elements on the ground. US Special community defence and can be useful in Forces in Vietnam like the Green Berets, providing civic mobilization and local also caused significant local problems for security. Specialist units can be used their opponents by their leadership and profitably, including commando squads, integration with mobile tribal and long range reconnaissance and "hunterirregular forces.[15] The CIA’s Special killer" patrols, defectors who can track or
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persuade their former colleagues like the Kit Carson units in Vietnam, and paramilitary style groups. Strict control must be kept over specialist units to prevent the emergence of violent vigilante style reprisal squads that undermine the government’s program. 12. Such aid should be limited either by time, or as to material and technical, and personnel support, or both. While outside aid or even troops can be helpful, lack of clear limits, in terms of either a realistic plan for victory or exit strategy, may find the foreign helper "taking over" the local war, and being sucked into a lengthy commitment, thus providing the guerrillas with valuable propaganda opportunities as the stream of dead foreigners mounts. Such a scenario occurred with the US in Vietnam, with the American effort creating dependence in South Vietnam, and war weariness and protests back home. Heavy-handed foreign interference may also fail to operate effectively within the local cultural context, setting up conditions for failure. 13. A key factor in guerrilla strategy is a drawn-out, protracted conflict, that wears down the will of the opposing counterinsurgent forces. Democracies are especially vulnerable to the factor of time. The counter-insurgent force must allow enough time to get the job done. Impatient demands for victory centered around short-term electoral cycles play into the hands of the guerrillas, though it is equally important to recognize when a cause is lost and the guerrillas have won.
Guerrilla warfare
today’s anti-guerrilla forces need to accept a more disruptive, disorderly and ambiguous mode of operation. "Insurgents may not be seeking to overthrow the state, may have no coherent strategy or may pursue a faithbased approach difficult to counter with traditional methods. There may be numerous competing insurgencies in one theater, meaning that the counterinsurgent must control the overall environment rather than defeat a specific enemy. The actions of individuals and the propaganda effect of a subjective “single narrative” may far outweigh practical progress, rendering counterinsurgency even more non-linear and unpredictable than before. The counterinsurgent, not the insurgent, may initiate the conflict and represent the forces of revolutionary change. The economic relationship between insurgent and population may be diametrically opposed to classical theory. And insurgent tactics, based on exploiting the propaganda effects of urban bombing, may invalidate some classical tactics and render others, like patrolling, counterproductive under some circumstances. Thus, field evidence suggests, classical theory is necessary but not sufficient for success against contemporary insurgencies..."[21]
Influence on the arts
• Guerrilla Warfare, 1999 album by the Hot Boys • Guerrilla, a 2007 film • "Guerillas in tha Mist", a song by Da Lench Mob • Guerrilla Girls, a feminist artist group • Guerrilla Radio, a song by Rage Against the Machine • Guerrilla War (arcade game), an arcade game by SNK • Gorillaz, a cartoon band, originally military-themed. • Guerrilla (or Gorilla) Unit, a rap group. • Guerrilla burlesque, a style of burlesque performance that involves descending upon audiences, uninvited. • Tomorrow series A series of books written by John Marsden (writer) about guerrilla warfare during a fictional invasion and occupation of Australia.
Variants
Some writers on counter-insurgency warfare emphasize the more turbulent nature of today’s guerrilla warfare environment, where the clear political goals, parties and structures of such places as Vietnam, Malaysia, or El Salvador are not as prevalent. These writers point to numerous guerrilla conflicts that center around religious, ethnic or even criminal enterprise themes, and that do not lend themselves to the classic "national liberation" template. The wide availability of the Internet has also cause changes in the tempo and mode of guerrilla operations in such areas as coordination of strikes, leveraging of financing, recruitment, and media manipulation. While the classic guidelines still apply,
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• First Blood which then led to the film series Rambo • Guerrillas, a thrash-hardcore band from Cluj-Napoca(RO). • For Whom The Bell Tolls, a novel by Ernest Hemingway telling the story of Robert Jordan, a volunteer American attached to an anti-fascist guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. • Guerilla An Achievement on the Xbox 360 Game "Halo 3." Unlocked By Achieving over 15,000 Points on the Meta-Game on the First Level. • Just Cause Guerrilla is one of the main modes • In Empire: Total War Special Forces Edition, the Spanish Guerrillas is an irregular unit fighting in the Spanish Faction Barricade: The Life and Times of Josip Broz Tito Franc-Tireurs Gladio Guerrilla communication Guerrilla gardening is political gardening, a form of nonviolent direct action, primarily practiced by environmentalists Guerrilla Warfare, by Che Guevara.
Guerrilla warfare
• Robert Asprey War in the Shadows: The Guerrilla in History. • Spaßguerilla • Special forces • Unconventional warfare • Vietnam War • War
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See also
• Asymmetric warfare • Central Intelligence Agency’s Special Activities Division • Basil Henry Liddell Hart • Bushwhackers (Union and Confederate) and Jayhawkers (Union) of the American Civil War • Cavalry in the American Civil War • Combatant • Commando • Counter insurgency • Directive control • Edmund Charaszkiewicz • Fabian Strategy • Fictional resistance movements and groups • Fitzroy Maclean Disputed • Hans von Dach, a Swiss army major famous for his book Total Resistance: A War Manual for Everyone, which teaches the readers in guerrilla warfare • Irregular military • Irregular Warfare • List of guerrilla movements • List of guerrilla fighters • List of revolutions and rebellions • Lord’s Resistance Army • LRRP and sissi, regular army units using guerrilla tactics • Manhunt (military) • Militia • Paramilitary • Partisan • PKK • Resistance during World War II • Resistance movement
Notes
[1] Rogers, Horatio (ed.), A Journal Kept in Canada and Upon Burgoyne’s Campaign in 1776 and 1777 by Lieutenant James M. Hadden, Roy. Art., Jorel Munsell’s Sons, (Albany, NY, 1884), pp.71 - 77. [2] Robert Brown Asprey (2008), "guerrilla warfare", Encyclopædia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/ topic/248353/guerrilla-warfare, retrieved on 2008-12-17 [3] Le Loi And The Le Dynasty [4] Scanderbeg [5] Vlad The Impaler: Brief History [6] The reign of the Vasa dynasty (1587-1668) the wars with Sweden and the events of the Swedish Deluge [7] Geldersche Volks-Almanak Published 1853 [8] Kalma, J.J. (1970). (ed.) de Tille. ed. Grote Pier Van Kimswerd. Netherlands. pp. 50. ISBN 90-7001-013-5. [9] Kok, Jacobus (1791). "Pier Gerlofs Donia". Vaderlandsch Woordenboek. 24 (P–R). Amsterdam: Johannes Allart. pp. 17–21. [10] Geuzen, or Gueux (Dutch history) [11] Poland - World War II [12] The Partisan War [13] Robert Thompson (1966). "Defeating Communist Insurgency: The Lessons of Malaya and Vietnam", Chatto & Widus, ISBN 0-7011-1133-X
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[14] ^ Learning from Iraq: • Counterinsurgency in American Strategy - Steven Metz. US Army Strategic • Studies Institute monograph, December 2006, http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/ pubs/display.cfm?pubID=752, retrieved • June 1, 2007 [15] Michael Lee Lanning and Daniel Craig, • "Inside the VC and NVA", and "Inside the LRRP’s" • [16] Shooting at the Moon: The Story of America’s Clandestine War in Laos, • Steerforth Press, 1996 |isbn=9781883642365 • [17] Bush at War, Bob Woodward, Simon and Shuster, 2002 [18] Operation Hotel California: The Clandestine War inside Iraq, Mike • Tucker, Charles Faddis, 2008, The Lyons • Press |isbn=9781599213668 [19] Plan of Attack, Bob Woodward, Simon • and Shuster, 2004 isbn=9780743255479 • [20] Learning from Iraq, op. cit. • [21] [1]PDF (146 KiB) Counter-insurgency • Redux", David Kilcullen Further References: • • Robert Asprey, War in the Shadows: The Guerrilla in History.
Guerrilla warfare
Fitzroy Maclean, Disputed Barricade: The Life and Times of Josip Broz Tito. Peter MacDonald, Giap: The Victor in Vietnam.
External links
Spanish Anthem of the traditional Guerrilleros unit Tribute to Mexican Women Guerrilleras. On the Freedom Country abcNEWS: The Secret War - Pakistani militants conduct raids in Iran abcNEWS Exclusive: The Secret War Deadly guerrilla raids in Iran Insurgency Research Group - Multi-expert blog dedicated to the study of insurgency and the development of counterinsurgency policy. Guerrilla warfare on Spartacus Schoolnet Encyclopaedia Britannica, Guerrilla warfare Mao on Guerrilla warfare Relearning Counterinsurgency Warfare Guerrilla Warfare Che Guevara on Guerrilla WarfarePDF (254 KiB) Counter Insurgency Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS)India
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_warfare" Categories: Guerrilla warfare, Sniper warfare, Warfare by type This page was last modified on 25 May 2009, at 00:46 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
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